The subject matter herein relates generally to flexible printed circuit board connectors.
Flexible printed circuit boards, also known as flex circuits, are used in various electronic devices. The flexible printed circuit boards have electronic circuits on flexible plastic substrates allowing the board to conform to a desired shape, or to flex during its use. Flex circuits are often used in applications where flexibility, space savings, size, weight or power constraints, or production constraints limit the serviceability of rigid circuit boards. However, conventional flexible printed circuit boards have problems making electrical connections. For example, many flexible printed circuit boards require a rigid substrate at the end to make a reliable connection to another component. Additionally, typically, the traces are fanned out at the end in order to transition to a reliable, separable interface. Additionally, conventional flexible printed circuit boards are only terminated at the end of the flexible printed circuit board.
A need exists for a flexible printed circuit board connector that is cost effective and reliable and that may provide termination to the flexible printed circuit board at any location along the length of the flexible printed circuit boards.